<div><strong>Huawei Media Pad 7 Lite<br /></strong>The flood of budget tablets continues with a 7-inch tab from China-based networking and telecommunications equipment and services company, Huawei, called the Media Pad 7 Lite.<br /><br />Actually it isn’t that light after all, but it’s just 30 gm more than the Nexus 7 which is 340 gm and no one complains about that tab being heavy. The iPad Mini is much lighter at 308 gm, but then it’s also twice the cost.<br /><br />The MediaPad has a matt aluminum and matt plastic back giving it a bit of solidity and the feel that you’re holding something of worth. Users have become quite sensitive to the backs of smartphones and tablets and getting a good feel from running one’s fingers over them has become a way of deciding that you have something of quality and worth in your hands. Much as one would feel while touching the fabric of a shirt one wants to buy.<br /><br />It seems Huawei wants this to be a landscape tablet, for that’s how the device starts up, really taking its time to do so. When it does, you see that the screen is not bad at 1024 x 600 pixels, despite a low density of 170 ppi. It’s bright and has good contrasts in colours. Viewing angles are fine too. Flipping through its screens, I found Huawei hadn’t bothered to put very much on the device either by way of apps or widgets.<br /><br />Now that can be either good or bad, depending on whether you want to install your own stuff or go with what’s chosen for you regardless. Huawei also hasn’t put very much “skin” or user interface elements. Again, some people like that and some just don’t. So on this tablet, you get a plain Android 4.0 experience. Yes, that’s Ice Cream and not the more exciting Jelly Bean. It’s working on a 1.2GHz Cortex A8 single core processor with 1GB of RAM. It didn’t do very well on the benchmarks I ran on it and finally just decided to hang altogether while downloading the final one. Even so, it’s better than many 7-inch tabs I’ve seen; just a little stuck now and then.<br /><br />This 7-incher lets you make calls and use a 3G card for data. You can increase its 8GB of storage with a micro SD card. There’s a 4100 mAh battery, but you can’t see it as it’s sealed in the unibody. There’s the usual quality of camera seen on budget devices – 3.2 megapixel main and 0.3 megapixel secondary. The MediaPad 1080p HD video playback at 30 frames per second. It costs between Rs 12,999 and 13,700 depending on where you buy it from.<br /><br />Many people love the 7-inch size for tablets and if you’re thinking of one, you have lots to choose from and here I would say compare specs and prices because there aren’t very dramatic prices. If you compare with the iPad Mini, it’s Rs 21,900 for the 16GB model. Google’s Nexus 7 tablet is Rs 19,000 though you may find better prices online.<br /><br /><br /><strong>The XPad X720 <br /></strong><img width="300" height="186" align="right" src="/image/image_gallery?uuid=b8684793-04ab-476a-a188-90ea0387f049&groupId=36166&t=1360183485121" alt="" />At this rate, small tablets are going to be free soon. Some of them hardly cost anything now. The elusive Aakash has some fresh competition in the form of a 7-inch tablet called the XPad X720 from Simmtronics. It costs just Rs 4,600 for a capacitive 480 x 800 screen, Android 4.0 and a 1GHz A08 Cortex processor. The tablet is fine. It's not badly made or unresponsive or otherwise badly troubled. Yes, it's value for money.<br /><br />Like with the Aakash and some other low-cost tablets, the Xpad is meant to appeal to students but it does have possible applications in organisations in which a portable device is needed for designated tasks. The Xpad won't be the ideal gizmo to use, especially outdoors, but it's likely to be usable in many situations. It has the specs of a midrange smartophone in the body of a tablet -- 512MB of RAM, 4GB of thermal storage with expansion to 32GB possible with a microSD card and a data card. Simmtronics allows owners of the Xpad to use various wifi hotspots such as those available at Cafe Coffee Day for free. The X720 doesn't have 3G capability on board but a dongle can be used. There's only a front facing 0.3mp camera for a video call and a 2800 mAh battery -- which is actually better than on mid-range phones. The tab is to be available at major gadget stores and online.<br /> </div>
BW Reporters
Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.
